The subtle rush of the sea. Wind, which makes my tent flapping. The clicking sound of a tuna can, today’s dinner. I open the zipper of my tent and the spectacle begins.

Green colors, spreading on the firmament, like a painter who’s trying hard to turn the sky into a piece of art. Lights, that suddenly start dancing with me. Like a little kid begging me to play with it. A spectacle, words can’t describe. Beauty, that almost moves me to tears. While I’m curiously starring towards the stars, I must inevitably think about my last 3 weeks. About shaking while hitch hiking in the snow, about soaked nights under bridges, about days that made me doubt, about all these people who helped me within the last weeks. About all these people who led me to this moment. I succeeded, I made it past the arctic circle, I am marveling at the first Aurora Borealis of my life.

I am gazing at green lights.

12 hours earlier, me and Daniel left Anitas house about 400 kilometers further down South. She did a lot of hitch hiking herself and knows a bunch of lorry drivers. She just makes a few calls and organizes 2 trucks for us. A 7 hour ride that once again leads me through Norway’s picturesque landscape.

A short ferry ride is the end of my lorry lift. It just takes a few minutes waving down cars on the road and a 25 years old guy from Irak pulls over. A question and an answer that will render me speechless. “What are your experiences with racism in Norway, did you have any problems?”, I ask Sultan, who fled from his homeland 10 years ago. A brief sigh. “To be honest, the reason for me driving North to my family is a phone call, which I had this morning with my mum. Today, my young sister committed suicide because she could not handle the mobbing at her school”. A long sigh. I say goodbye while giving him a hug and find myself sitting in a new car 5 minutes later. A guy who is on his way to the hospital. His wife is expecting their child. Sometimes life and death lie close together.

It will happen on this evening. I will see my first Northern lights. I will fall asleep with a victorious feeling. I am proud. A few hours later I’ll wake up and realize, that my tent’s zippers are frozen. Relentless cold is the price for the green lights.A price I am willing to pay. The rising sun at 9 AM helps us, getting out of our tents and lets us start into our first day at the Lofoten full of joy and excitement.

It is Saturday, our third day in the Lofoten area.The day started alike most of the last three weeks. My alarm wakes me up at 8 AM but the chill temperatures let me stay in my sleeping bag for another 30 minutes, before I open the entrance of my tent. Breakfast, that consists of a banana, bread, peanut butter with jam and nut spread. A sunrise, that barely spends any heat. In retrospective I’d say, that this Saturday has been the most breathtaking day of my Norway journey so far.

Reinebringen is the name of the hike, we did choose for this morning. A hike, that is currently closed because of a high number of accidents and deaths. A fact, that doesn’t stop us from hiking this mountain. A fact, that makes us enjoy the view almost without any other tourists. A view, I must describe as beautiful.

As we walk into a supermarket 2 hours later, we are welcomed with coffee and cake. One of the employees celebrates her birthday. Why am I telling you this? Well, just to give you an idea about how tiny these little villages in the Lofoten area actually are.

It just takes us one lift to get to our today’s target, a near beach from which we wanna witness some more Northern lights.The day ended alike most of the last three weeks. A dinner, that consists of bread and canned fish. These monotonous meals get scattered by different special offers, we encounter every now and then. This time it’s mandarins. An hour later, the sun disappears and we catch the first green lights.

Over-chilled and a bit disappointed we head back into our tents around 9 PM. But I don’t wanna give up and set an alarm for 11 PM. I am dragging myself out of the tent hesitantly as my smartphone wakes me up with a gentle melody. The green lights have not changed at all. But my patience will pay off. 40 minutes later the spectacle starts and makes me hold my breath for 3 minutes. A spectacle, that puts the first night to shame. A spectacle that ends as abrupt as it had begun.

Hands down, this was the most impressive nature spectacle I have ever witnessed in my entire life.

Our list hike at the Lofoten leads us to a remote beach on which we set up our tents for the fourth nirght in a row. By now,I guess there is no need to talk about Norway’s beauty anymore. Instead I just wanna let these pictures speak for themselves.

We left the Lofoten yesterday. It took us 3 lifts to arrive in Narvik. We are staying with a host one of our past lifts got us in touch with. The first hot shower and warm meal since 5 days are a welcome change. A thick blanket and a couch make me feel like staying in a Hilton hotel.

That’s it, I have accomplished my goal. I have seen the Northern lights. Now it’s time for a little tidbit. 12 hours by car separate me from the North Cape. It’s supposed to start snowing soon and I am curious what these last kilometers in Norway hold ready for me. But honestly, as much as I enjoy this country, I can’t wait to wake up in my own bed back home again in a few weeks.

Without frozen zippers, without nut spread and without a sleeping bag.